1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a heat regenerative engine that uses water as the working fluid, and more particularly, to a pre-heater arrangement for capturing heat from exhaust steam in order to heat water in its path to a steam generator in the engine.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In a typical engine, a considerable amount of heat is lost in exhaust. This significantly reduces the overall efficiency of the engine. In particular, in an engine that uses steam to drive pistons in cylinders, a considerable amount of heat is lost in exhaust steam that may otherwise be used to pre-heat water prior to steam generation. Capturing the heat from exhaust steam would not only be useful to pre-heat water, but would also effectively lower the temperature of the exhaust vapor prior to entering a condenser. A heat transfer arrangement of this nature would significantly increase the overall efficiency in an engine that relies on generation of steam and, thus, would be a beneficial component in a heat regenerative engine.